


Eleven Strangeness, Quark, and Charm

by snowzone5



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Mileven, Quantum Entanglment, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-20
Updated: 2019-08-27
Packaged: 2020-09-19 05:03:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,142
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20325532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snowzone5/pseuds/snowzone5
Summary: The prequel, sequel and side-quel to Finding Her Again. A lonely Mike is having nightmares he can't remember, and one day things weren't quite as they seem. And then things get stranger.





	1. Strangeness

**Author's Note:**

> If you haven't read Finding Her Again, it won't make a whole lot of sense (especially the next few chapters)

Mike sat bolt upright in bed and yelled. "Eleven!"

He frowned. He must have had a bad dream. He didn't wake up sweating like he usually did when he had a nightmare… instead… he had a feeling of longing. He couldn't explain it. The last time he'd felt like that was when he'd lost a toy he really liked, he missed that toy for months. He finally got over it but he never forgot the feeling of longing for it.

This was a little different though. This felt like he was missing a person. A long time friend. Not a girlfriend of course, he'd never had one, and this year wasn't looking any better. Hmm, maybe not. It was more like the feeling you get when you liked a girl, but you knew in your mind that it was never going to happen. Your heart longed for the her, but it was not just not going to be a possibility in this reality.

He got dressed and made his way downstairs for breakfast. He got Eggos from the freezer. His dad had already gone to work and his sister Nancy and their mother were sitting at the table.

Nancy looked at him and smirked. "You had another Sesame Street dream last night. You were looking for the number eleven. What does that even mean?"

"I was probably looking for eleven ways to avoid talking to you?"

"Michael! Don't be so rude to your sister." His mother said.

"Yeah Mike, don't be so rude. Why don't you spend the rest of the summer looking for a girlfriend?" She tried to keep from laughing.

It was a sore spot for him. He was lonely and at the age where he'd taken an interest in girls… but they had not returned that interest. Whatsoever.

When he'd finished his Eggos he went down to the bathroom in the basement to brush his teeth. When he was done he sat on the sofa and pulled out his D&D Dungeon Master's Guide, looking for ideas. He wasn't really feeling it today but he'd promised The Party that he'd at least have enough material to start a campaign.

There was a knock on the back door, and he got up to let Lucas and his girlfriend Max in. He wasn't a big fan of Max. There wasn't anything wrong with her… not really, they just kind of rubbed each other the wrong way.

"Hey Lucas… Max. Come on in."

"I can just tell by looking at you that you had that dream again last night." Max had an uncharacteristically concerned expression on her face, and Mike could help but like her a little bit more.

"Yeah, I don't even remember the dream, I just wake up yelling _eleven_. I have no idea what it means. Maybe I'm counting in the dream and that number is significant."

"Have you noticed anything else weird happening in your life?"

Mike thought. "I seem to have a craving for Eggos a lot. Doesn't make any difference if they are toasted or not."

"That's not that weird." Max said.

"If I'm watching a movie late at night, instead of opening up a bag of chips, I'll eat a box of frozen waffles." Mike said.

"Ok _that's _weird." She said. "And what's going on with your hair?"

"I try to comb it straight, but it's like if I move my head to fast or even think about it, my hair is like it got caught in an eggbeater. I'm just going to stop combing it... "

XXXXX

That night Mike wasn't feeling well. He felt like he'd been on some kind of spinning ride at an amusement park and had to get off and just lie still for a month or two. Nausea didn't quite cover how it felt. Super-pukey-hurl-master was closer.

The room was still spinning when he got to sleep.

In the morning, he woke up suddenly, tears in his eyes with a question. "Promise?"

He wiped his eyes. He wasn't crying now and the memory of the dream was completely gone. The feeling of longing was still there, but there seemed to be hope behind it.

He got up and went down to the kitchen for breakfast. He was half glad that Nancy wasn't at the table yet. Just his mother. His dad obviously at work early again. Maybe he could finish his Eggos before Nancy came down.

After a few minutes Mike was on his third Eggo he asked his mom. "Where's Nancy?"

"Who's Nancy?" His mother said looking up from her book.

Mike looked around. "Um, my _sister_ Nancy?" Trying to sound as sarcastic as possible.

"You're sister's name is Holly." Her mom was already losing her interest in the inane conversation.

"Yeah, my younger sister's name _is_ Holly. I was asking about Nancy."

"Well, your _older_ sister Holly should be here any minute." No sooner had she said that when a blonde girl older than Mike sat down at the table.

"Hey Mike, you sleep ok last night? You were doing a lot of talking your sleep." She smiled at Mike, she was genuinely interested.

Mike panicked a little. This was his sister, but he must still be dreaming. He was almost ten years older than she was. "I'm sleeping ok… I guess. I didn't keep you awake did I?"

And how come his mother didn't know who Nancy was? He was having a lucid dream. He'd only heard about them, never had one… at least not until now.

"Nah, I fell asleep dreaming about Steve." She waited looking take a quick nervous glance at her mother. Her mom either hadn't heard or was ignoring here.

Steve. That would be Harrington. He wasn't the asshole he used to be. Although in this dream, who knew maybe he still was.

He'd grab Lucas and maybe Dustin. They would go down to the library and look up books on dreaming.

"I think I'm going to the library today with Dustin and Lucas," he told his _older_ sister Holly. Then nodded towards his mother, "You know, in case she asks."

Holly giggled at him, and then asked, "Ok, Mike… who's Lucas? A new friend?"

That stopped him. He'd go over to Lucas's house to make sure there was a Lucas in this dream… he was starting to suspect that this wasn't really a dream and it scared him a little bit.

He grabbed his jacket and threw on his runners. Once outside he hopped on his bike and and peddled the short distance to Lucas's house.

He knocked on the door and Max answered. "Hey Max? Is Lucas in?"

"Ok two things, asshole. First, you ignore me the whole summer, and now you come waltzing over here and knock on my door? Screw you. Second, nobody calls me Max, it's Maxine wasteoid."

'Uh…."

"Uh…. Uh…." Max mocked him, "and who the hell is Lucas?"


	2. Blink

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is the direct sequel to "Finding Her Again." Tying up those loose ends. If you haven't read that story, none of this is going to make any sense.
> 
> This also sets up for the rest of this story.

"We have to hurry," both the Punk El and the single Mike said at the same time.

"Shit… I don't know if we can make it in time." The grey haired Hopper said, "It's at least a five minute walk for all of us to the Blazer. I can only drive so fast to the lab… I'm sorry…"

"I have to find my Mike. He has to be in my Hawkins. He _has_ to be there. I need to find him." The curly haired El said, tears** s**treaming down her cheeks.

And then she blinked.

XXXXX

The oldest Mike looked around. The three Hoppers, The grey hair one and _his_ El's dad, and the two younger Hoppers were standing together, punk El, and the single Mike were standing together. _For comfort, probably. _The oldest Mike thought.

The Mike and El holding hands, were standing just behind the single curly haired El, whose nose was bleeding quite a bit. The oldest El's Mike rushed over so he could grab her before she collapsed.

He asked punk El, "That was too many people wasn't it?"

Punk El said, "She's fine if she only blinks -that's what she calls it- herself, or maybe someone with her. She moved nine of us.

The oldest El said, "Blinked?"

The single Mike said, "Teleportation, that's her ability."

Oldest El said, "What about _your_ El, what's her ability?"

"She can open portals to other versions of Hawkins. When she was being experimented on by Brenner, that's when your Mike was visiting, um, punk El's Mike, but in his conscious mind. Does that make any sense to you?"

"It does to me," the oldest Mike said, "It explains a lot." He turned to his El, "It means I'm not crazy or going crazy."

"I would have loved you anyway," his El said.

The curly haired El burst into tears. "Why can't I find _my_ Mike. I've blinked all over the world looking for him."

"Maybe I can help with that," punk El said, "As soon as we stop Brenner and free _that_ Mike's El." She nodded towards single Mike.

"Ok, enough of this," The grey haired Hopper said, "I shot Brenner once, I'm willing to do it again. The three of us… Hoppers, will take care of the guards, costume, or punk El whatever you want to call her, will get us into the lab. The field trip Mike and El will stay here with the the oldest Mike and El. Sorry honey, not calling you old." He smiled. "Blinking El you stay where with my daughter. Mike you come with us for your El, when she sees you again, you will give her strength."

The single Mike nodded.

"We all clear?"

Everyone nodded.

XXXXX

There was a lot of noise and gunfire. The sound of heavy canvass being ripped repeatedly filled the air. And then silence.

Everyone looked around.

The field trip El said to her Mike, "I'm sorry I don't have any ability to help with this."

Her Mike said, "You do El. You know what your ability is?"

She shook her head. "Your ability, and the one that counts, is that you love me. And not just in _our_ Hawkins, _all_ the El's love their Mike's."

She turned to him and put her arms around his neck, and her head on his shoulder. They held each other until the double doors at the end of the hallway opened and the three Hoppers came out with punk El, the dimensional El and her Mike, no longer standing by himself, but with his hand tightly holding his El.

The oldest El asked her dad, "Did you shoot him again?"

"He didn't have to," dimensional El said. "He tried to escape through one of my portals. I closed it before he could get through."

"So he's still in _this_ Hawkins?"

"His bottom half is, his top half is in the Upside Down. Thanks to my dimensional sister," she smiled at punk El.

"And you are ok?" The oldest Mike said to dimensional El.

"My Mike gave me the strength I needed."

The heavy sobbing that started made them all turn to the curly haired El. She had collapsed against the wall, she sounded so lost that the oldest Mike, got down on one knee. "If your Mike is anything like me, or the rest of us Mike's, you _know_ he's not giving up on you. You know that right?"

She nodded through her tears. He turned to punk El, "Can you find her Mike in the Void?"

"If she does that," dimensional El said, "I can open a portal to him, I will go first just to make sure he's the right one."

"You would do that for me?" the curly haired El said, looking back and forth to everyone in disbelief.

The field trip Mike said, "I think it's safe to say that any of us Mike's or El's would help any other." There were nods all around.

"Ok, I need a blindfold and something to find her Mike with." Punk El said. She looked at the curly El and smiled, "Got it." She came over to curly haired El and wiped the tears from her face. She tasted them.

"Your love is strong. All of our loves' are strong. This will be easy." She put on the blindfold and within seconds she said, "found him." She reached out and held dimensional El's hand.

"Ok, he needs his Eleven, he _really_ needs her love. He's dreaming about her all the time. Because of what Brenner made you do, his Hawkins got a bit… scram… scrambled." She said to dimensional El. "You should go there first and…"

"...prepare him." Dimensional El said, "I'll get his Dustin to help." She turned to the curly haired El. "I don't know how long I'll be." She looked at the three Hoppers. "Everyone go back to the cabin."

The oldest El turned to her Mike. Her own tears streaming down her face. "If I ever doubted your love for me, I'm sorry. Just knowing that we need and love each other across dimensions is… is overwhelming."

He pulled her into a hug.

"I need to get back to my Mike. He'll be a mess right now. El?" punk El said to dimensional El.

Dimensional El tilted her head forward and held out her hand. A bluish-green swirl of light and dark formed in front of her. "I can see he's waiting, thank you for helping to save me."

Punk El gave her a quick hug and a nod to everyone else, feeling hurried. She jumped quickly through the portal, her dad, one of the younger Hoppers went right after her. It closed a few seconds after they were gone.

XXXXX

Mike paced back and forth in the cabin. El and the Chief had been gone a long time. He felt sick to his stomach. _What if she never comes back?_ He couldn't think that way, couldn't go there. It was unthinkable.

When the dimensional El had first shown up asking for help, Mike was terrified that _this_ time, he really would lose El.

But she had promised him. Again. And even though he was worried sick, he could see it in her eyes. She _would_ be back. Come hell or high water.

For the second time in his life he saw the bluish-green port open. El still in her punk costume, and her dad walked through.

She saw Mike and the tears started for both of them. "Did you save that El, in her dimension? Is she back with her Mike, he must be going crazy 'cause I was."

She ran to him and hugged him tight. "Yes, and we saw three more of us. An older version of the two of us, the one who's been visiting you, he's finally with his El. There was another version of me with no powers, but she was with her Mike. They were caught up in everything. There was a curly haired El with no Mike. I know exactly how she feels, I was so lost without you when in Upside Down." She squeezed him tighter.

"I found _her_ Mike in the Void, and dimensional El, is going to make sure he's the right one. She will get them together."

Mike squeezed her back, "All the Mike's need to be with their El's. I think that's the only way the universe and our hearts will be safe."

"I need another kiss, it's been too long."


	3. Quark

He knocked on the door and Max answered. "Hey Max? Is Lucas in?"

"Ok two things, asshole. First, you ignore me the whole summer, and now you come waltzing over here and knock on my door? Screw you. Second, nobody calls me Max, it's Maxine wasteoid."

'Uh…."

"Uh…. Uh…." Max mocked him, "and who the hell is Lucas?"

Mike was feeling sick to his stomach.

"You don't look good, are you ok?" Maxine said.

"No, sorry… Max-ine. I'm not having a good day."

She looked a little sympathetic, "Ok, so I won't punch you. Catch me later if you want to talk." She gave him a little smile and closed the door.

Mike was going to have to start keeping a score card. He'd lost his big sister Nancy, and now his little sister Holly was his big sister… and she was nice to him.

He'd lost his best friend Lucas.

He decided to go to the junkyard and sit at the back of the bus to think. He was walking along the railroad tracks when he saw two figures ahead. _Shit, is that Troy and James?_

No. It _looked_ like Lucas and Dustin. _I think I'm going to be sick_.

When they got closer Dustin said, "Uh, where's Eleven? You two haven't been apart for more than twelve hours at a time. Just long enough to sleep."

"As soon as they get married they can sleep together." Lucas said joking.

"They don't have to be married to do that." Dustin said.

"Cut it out guys," Mike was getting annoyed. "I don't have any idea who Eleven is. What kind of name is that anyway?"

"Well, we all call her El, for short. Uh, what do you mean who is she? She's looking for you so you better have a good answer when you see her." Dustin held out his hand like he was using a superpower, "If you know what I mean." He laughed.

"Dustin, El would never hurt Mike, no matter how much of a little asshole he was."

"Yeah, I know… Mike? Have you seen Max around?"

"Maxine is living in what used to be your house, last I saw her."

"You didn't call her that did you? You _know_ she hates it. What do you mean living in what used to be my house?"

Mike seriously thought he would throw up. "Um, guys, let me catch you later. I need to be alone. If you see _Eleven_, tell her I'm in the bus."

"Ok, we'll leave you two alone to make out." Lucas and Dustin snickered.

XXXXX

"There you are!"

Mike looked up… and into the eyes of the prettiest girl he would ever see in his life. In this world. In this universe.

She smiled at him with eyes that made his knees weak. He saw her full lips and just wanted to kiss her right away. His heart felt a sad ache that he wasn't sure would ever go away. She sat down beside him.

"If you are Eleven… I think I'm supposed to know you… and I'm sorry, but I don't. But I wish I did."

She looked down and gave him a shy smile.

She looked up at him, a tear running down her cheek. "I'm not _your_ Eleven, but there is one who loves you very much."

"I don't understand, I'm so confused." Mike was on the brink of crying himself.

"It's been bad for you hasn't it?"

He nodded, his lip starting to tremble.

"Ok, she won't mind if I comfort you." The girl turned to him and hugged him. Mike lost his resolve and cried on her shoulder.

After a few minutes he pulled back, "Thanks, you're really nice. But I don't want Lucas and Dustin… if they still exist that is… coming in here thinking we're making out."

"No, we're not going to make out." She giggled, "They'd do that wouldn't they? …what's even better though is that we usually are. Well, not you and I, of course, but _my_ Mike and I. I don't think that would be right. But I can hug you, and I can hold your hand. My Mike would want me to help you as much as I can. Your Eleven won't mind, she just wants to find you to be with you."

"You aren't helping. Talking like that."

"I'm sorry Mike. I'll explain what I can, and Dustin can help fill in all the science-y bits I don't understand."

XXXXX

"So I… um _your Mike_, asked if we could call you El, and you lived in my basement for a week?" Mike looked down "Yeah, it's something I'd do if I found you lost in the woods. Cold and scared."

Another tear threatened to fall down her cheek. "You-_my Mike _took care of me. I'm seeing now that all of you have the kindest hearts. All of us Eleven's are so lucky."

"But I don't have mine yet… but I think I've been having dreams about you… her."

"Yes and you've had friends, and family members disappearing." He nodded.

"Those are all parts of the experiments Papa, I _hated_ calling him that… made me do.

I'm trying to fix it all now. You and _your_ Eleven are the last piece of the puzzle. Let's go find Lucas and Dustin."

"Wait how come you know them, and they know you, but _I_ don't?"

"That's the part that Dustin will be able to explain better than I can. Come on," she held out her hand and Mike took it.

Almost by instinct their fingers entwined. She smiled at him, "This is the way it's meant to be, but with our own… soulmates."

XXXXX

"Ok," Dustin said. "Remember in science class, we learned about the atom, protons, neutrons and electrons."

Both El and Mike listened to him but only Mike nodded.

"They usually teach that those are the smallest parts of an atom. Well, they're not, a proton consists of subatomic particles called quarks. Two up quarks and one down quark. A neutron has two down quarks and one up quark. It's part of they are part of the three generations of matter called _fermions._ There are six different flavours of quarks: Up, down, strange, charm, top and bottom."

"How do you _know_ all this stuff?" Mike said, his head spinning.

"Uh, it's called _science_, Mike, you should check it out. _All_ the universes run on it. And you're girlfriend here can manipulate it. Now, I'm not a particle physicist but I play one for my friends." Dustin gave them both a toothy smile.

"Not all quarks have been confirmed, and don't ask me to explain quantum entanglement, because it confuses me. Long answer short. El here, can affect one universe by changing something in another. And that includes moving herself or others between them. If the government knew that and she ever got captured, she would be hooked up to a machine for the rest of her life."

Mike held Eleven's hand and said, "Don't worry the Party can keep your secret. We won't let that happen to you."

"All the Mikes and all the Partys have done that for me." She smiled at both of them.

"So you managed to fix our universe?" Dustin asked.

"Only the parts I was forced to change. Brenner may still be doing something to screw things up."

"How come you haven't sent Mike's El here?" Dustin asked, concerned for his friend.

"I think I need to... _anchor_ my... entang... entanglement here. It's close because both you and Lucas know me but Mike doesn't. I'm going to stay here until the anchor happens."

Mike smiled. He'd get to hold her hand a lot more.

He'd get to see her pretty eyes, probably every day.

Mike was starting to think the universe was starting to change for him in a good way.

And Eleven, his girlfriend was changing it.

Just for him.


	4. Charm

El smiled when she thought of the others calling her the _dimensional El._ She didn't come close to understanding the science behind it like Dustin did. She just knew she could actually _use_ it to her advantage, and to all the Eleven's and Mike's regardless of what universe they were in.

It felt like she needed two endpoints of a cosmic anchor to get _this_ Mike's El here. She would know it when it happened, but so far no luck. She knew Mike wouldn't be happy about one of those endpoints, which was the reason she'd never tell him. He had to realize it first.

She and this Mike spent the summer together. There was no Hopper in this Hawkins, not yet anyway, so El had nowhere to go. Mike had smiled at her over the problem.

"That's easy El." He'd brought her to his basement and she saw it right away. The blanket fort. She had started crying immediately and turned to hug him.

"It's ok, you can live here as long as you want. My parents are clueless. They'll never know. Only…"

"Only what, Mike?"

"If you are able to get my El here, and she doesn't have a place to stay, she gets the blanket fort."

El laughed through her tears. "I need to get back to my Mike, so it will be vacant again. I'm sorry Mike, I still don't feel the anchor I need to get her here. All the others were easy to do."

"It's ok El." He cast his eyes down.

"What is it?"

"Well, both Dustin and Lucas think you are my girlfriend, and everyone else has seen us holding hands, but nobody has seen us kissing. You told me why… but it's not easy… you know what I mean?"

"How would you feel if another Mike was kissing _your_ El? Even though he's _Mike._ It's not you kissing her, it's him. And besides, she already loves you. You'll see."

He nodded slowly, "I get your point El. I won't bug you about it anymore."

She gave him another hug, "You will be the first to know Mike. I promise."

His sad eyes tore her apart. She needed to get his El to him, and she _needed_ to get back to her own Mike, he'd be so alone right now.

XXXXX

Mike felt it when it happened. He didn't want it to happen. But those are the kinds of things you have no control over. How as he even going to tell her?

She had tried to hold his hand as they walked down the railroad tracks. He just shook his head and she nodded. The corners of her mouth turned up a little in a cute smile. He hadn't said anything to her all morning.

"You've been quiet this morning, Mike. I think I know what's wrong. Well, not _wrong_ but different for you."

"You do?" He doubted very much that she knew.

"You've fallen in love with me haven't you?"

Mike nodded, but kept his eyes down. If he looked at her right now, he'd start blubbering. He didn't want to cry in front of her.

"It's one of the anchors I needed Mike. We are halfway there." She gave him the smile he'd already fallen in love with.

"What's the other anchor?"

Her smile faded a little, "I don't know. I won't lie, it has me a little bit worried."

"I'm still having the dream about her, I think that's a good sign."

"I'm sure it is."

"Thanks for not making me feel stupid El." She raised her eyebrows at him, he continued, "when I admitted I loved you. I mean, it's probably not you, it's the one in my dream, I mean I think it's my El, I mean… I don't know what I mean."

El gave him another hug. "This is why all the Mike's in all the universes belong to all the El's in all the universes."

"I'm tired just thinking about it." He looked up, "And it looks like it's going to rain, we should hurry to get to the bus."

XXXXX

Mike had been startled awake. She could hear the trail end of thunder. Lightning must have struck fairly close. El had fallen asleep on his shoulder in the back of the bus. His stirring had woken her up.

"Everything ok Mike?"

"I dreamed about you, I mean my Eleven again. It was different this time."

"What was different?"

"I saw her." The beautiful smile on his face, made her weak in the knees. _Her_ Mike smiled the exact same way.

"Oh?"

"Yeah, she had different hair, curly, almost to her shoulders. She's really pretty. Um, I mean, you are too, but I mean, she was _really_ pretty… Uh I mean..."

El laughed, "I get it Mike… and that's it. That's the last thing I needed, more like you needed. You needed to see her, and to know that it was _that_ El you love. Not me."

"I see that now. Does this mean that you…"

El started nodding her head right away. She was not expecting his tears though. "Give me a few minutes Mike. Let's get out of the bus. It's stopped raining now."

She knew that he would have no idea what she was about to do.

"Ok, stand here by the bus Mike, I'm going to create a portal over there," she pointed a little ways away. "My plan was to have you meet the other El's and their Mike's, but you really only need _your_ El. I don't want to take any chances, so what I'm going to do is bring her here and leave through the same portal, back to my Mike. Ok."

"Thanks for everything you're doing for me El. Just knowing that someone body cares about you like this… it's overwhelming… I'm never going to be able to thank you."

"That's where you're wrong Mike. You can thank me by loving your Eleven with your entire soul. That the way my Mike loves me. I can _feel_ it when I'm in his presence. She will too. I promise."

"I promise too El," Mike leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek. "Don't tell him." He smiled at her and she couldn't help but giggle.

She walked a little ways away, and held out her hand she tilted her head forward and willed the portal to this Mike's El. It was easy now that she knew what the connection would be. Once the blueish-green portal was opened she poked her head through, smiled at El and held her hand out.

As she expected the blinking El started crying right away, but grabbed her hand and dimensional El pulled her through the portal.

"He's waiting for you." She nodded towards the bus. "I will tell you the same thing I told him. You love him with your entire soul. No compromises. Ok?"

She nodded her acceptance, and turned to where he was waiting by the bus. She started running, but then she must have blinked because she was in his arms in a seconds. Dimensional El smiled and waved to the two of them before stepping into the portal, and out of their back to her own life with _her_ Mike. She would get blinking El's dad to the cabin next.

XXXXX

Mike saw Eleven running towards him, and then he literally blinked and she was in his arms crying on his shoulder.

"It's ok Eleven, we're finally together. I've been dreaming about you."

She stepped back at him and looked at him her face awash in tears. "But… do you love me?" She turned to where the dimensional El had disappeared through the portal. It was closed and gone. "Not her?"

"Yes. I it's _you_.. I won't lie to you Eleven, that El and I hugged and held hands, we were a comfort to each other while we waited for her to feel like she could make the connection. She'd gone back to the Mike who loves _her. _Um, I kissed her cheek to thank her._"_

El smiled at him. "I've waited so long."

Mike put his hands on her shoulders, he leaned forward at the same time she tilted her face up to meet his. He gave her a gentle kiss. And sighed.

"Me too, El. I didn't even know I was waiting. I didn't even know I had a soulmate. I've learned that all the Mike's do."

El nodded her head, smiling. "She told us how we can thank her."

Mike smiled, "That's going to be the easiest thing I've ever done. I don't think I'm ever going to be able to spend enough time with you."

"Yes you will. I think I can promise that."

"How can you promise that El? You're dad is _never_ going to let you spend that much time to me."

El smiled gave him a big smile. "There is another Hawkins where he had to learn the hard way. The other Mike's and El's that I know, told _my_ dad how it was going to be. Also, I can do this."

She held his hand and blinked.

The next thing Mike knew he was standing in front of the blanket fort. He turned to El completely amazed, "You can teleport?"

"I call it blinking… but yes. I can do the two of us really easy. The more people I try and my nose starts to bleed."

"We have to keep that a secret El. _Nobody_ can know you do that. If Hawkins Lab ever found out… I could… I could lose you."

"You won't lose me Mike. I promise. They have no way of holding me."

"But if they knock you out or make you sleep or some how be unconscious?"

"My dad and I have already thought of that and practiced. Any pain to my body, I automatically blink back to the cabin."

"Cabin?"

"It's where I'm safe."

"Wait a minute. This means you can spend all kinds of time with me. Stay up late, you're dad doesn't have to pick you up." Mike was beginning to see how powerful her ability could be.

"And I could sleep beside you at night Mike."

"Your dad is not going to like that."

"He hasn't liked it for a long time, but I told him that when we were together that's exactly what I want to do. In a year he can't really stop me anyway, but, he's my dad. I want to be respectful. I love you Mike, he knows that. He knows we've been waiting for each other. I told him he didn't have to worry about the one thing he's worried about." She waggled her eyebrows at him.

"Oh! I never even thought about that."

"I can sleep beside you almost every night. Kissing is as far as you go."

"I would never take advantage El… I wouldn't…" She put a finger across his lips.

"I know Mike. It won't be forever, but it will be for now."

XXXXX

El blinked again. Mike found himself in a small living room.

"We're at the cabin." El told him.

"I'm never going to get used to that." Mike heard a gruff voice behind him. He jumped a little.

Hopper looked at his daughter, "This is your Mike."

El smiled proudly, "Yes. And we love each other. You know what that means?"

Hopper gave a huge sigh. "Yeah, yeah, the other versions of me made it clear. I heard there were versions of you guys that ran away, cause I went psycho or some stupid shit like that. Don't know what he was thinking. I've seen enough versions of you guys to know better."

"You don't want me pregnant dad, we get it."

Hopper cringed and Mike turned eight shades of red.

They both tried to change the topic, "Are you the police chief here? My version of Hawkins got so screwed up I didn't know what was real anymore."

"The dimensional El did what she could. So yeah, I'm still chief… but the lab is still going and Brenner is still around."

"Shit." Mike said.

"Yeah, kid, shit. Is it too much to ask for you to stay hidden? I don't care how much you see each other. You guys deserve it after everything you've both gone through. But stay hidden, at least until I see what kind of Brenner I'm dealing with here."

"I can't lose her. So if you let us stay together as much as possible, then we will stay hidden."

"I can't ask you for more than that. Deal." Hopper held out his hand.

"I think I have it better that a lot of the other Mike's and El's." She smiled back and forth between her boyfriend and her dad.

"So what are your plans for the rest of the day. I'm going into the office. I want to get used to however it is in this Hawkins."

"Mike and I are going back to his basement to talk…. And do all kinds of kissing.." Hopper rolled his eyes.

"And I'll be staying with him in the blanket fort tonight."

"No funny business?"

"No funny business, dad."

He smiled and waved them away.

Another blink and Mike and El were back standing in front of the blanket fort.

"I still want to talk Mike. But I want to kiss you for, hmm, 353 days straight I think."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have further adventures for these two versions of Mike and El :)


End file.
